But a librarian at Cambridgeport School refused to accept the gift, criticizing Trump administration education policies and images in the books.

Seuss’s illustrations are “steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes,” librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro wrote in a letter to Trump on Tuesday.

The librarian wrote that rather than sending books to a well-funded elementary school in Cambridge, Trump should instead be devoting resources to schools in “underfunded and underprivileged communities” that are “marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.” Critics view DeVos, a billionaire who has worked for decades to promote school choice, or alternatives to traditional public schools, as one of the most anti-public-education secretaries in the department’s history.

Giving the books was part of Trump’s effort to use her platform “to help as many children as she can,” White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.

Those efforts include hosting a roundtable discussion Thursday about the opioid epidemic, including how it affects youths, and speaking at a luncheon on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly about work she hopes to do as an anti-bullying advocate.

The Department of Education chose one high-achieving school in every state to receive a package of books from Trump, according to a statement from the White House.

“Turning the gesture of sending young school children books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the First Lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere,” Grisham said.

In her letter to children receiving the books, Trump called getting an education “perhaps the most important and wondrous opportunity of your young lives.”

“Your education will be a lifelong pursuit that will sustain and carry you far beyond your wildest imagination if you will let it,” she wrote. “Remember, the key to achieving your dreams begins with learning to read.”

On Sept. 6, she encouraged everyone to read a book, and to let every page “take you on an exciting journey.”

On National #ReadABookDay I encourage everyone to read a book. Let every page educate you & take you on an exciting journey!

The Cambridge school system released a statement saying the librarian “was not authorized to accept or reject donated books on behalf of the school or school district,” according to CBS Boston.

“We have counseled the employee on all relevant policies, including the policy against public resources being used for political purposes,” the district said in the statement. Representatives from the school system did not respond to requests from The Washington Post for comment.

Phipps Soeiro points to recent literature that addresses potential racism in Seuss’s work, including a book by professor of children’s literature Philip Nel that argues Seuss’s depiction of the Cat in the Hat was based on racial stereotypes and inspired by traditions of blackface entertainment.

She also calls Seuss “a bit of a cliché” and a “tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature” in her letter posted on the Horn Book, a publication covering literature for children and adults.

Many of the comments on Phipps Soeiro’s post commended her for taking a stand, but others suggested she was “rude” and “ungrateful” not to have accepted Trump’s gift.

“I am appalled by this. How about teaching our children to be grateful for a gift, accept the gift and say thank you?” a commenter wrote, responding to Phipps Soeiro’s post.

Parents outside the school told CBS Boston they supported the librarian’s statement.

“I think the letter is really articulate, constructive in its suggestions,” said parent Alex Vanpraagh.

Seuss has long been associated with children’s literacy. The National Education Association’s annual “Read Across America” day — when cities and towns across the country host events to celebrate reading — is March 2, Seuss’s birthday.

“One of the reasons we partnered with Seuss 20 years ago in 1997 was to kick-start this program,” NEA spokesman Steven Grant told the School Library Journal.

“That was the strategy up front, so kids would see Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat and spark some attention.”

He said an estimated 45 million students and teachers take part in the reading events annually, and that in the past two years, the program’s mission has been shifting toward promoting diverse literature.

But the author still has many admirers, including President Obama, who said he is “still a big Dr. Seuss fan” when he visited a library in Southeast Washington in 2015.